Central Oxford getaway .At this Oxford City Centre inn, you'll be well placed to visit Thames River and University of Oxford, both within a 5-minute walk. Thames Path and Christ Church Meadows are also within half a mile (1 km).
4-star eco-certified inn near University of Oxford
There's a restaurant on site. You can enjoy a drink at the bar/lounge. Public spaces have free WiFi. The eco-certified The Head of the River also features a terrace and a garden.
This 4-star Oxford inn is smoke free.
19 guestrooms or units
3 levels
Breakfast available (surcharge)
Front desk (limited hours)
Terrace
Garden
No smoking on site
Bar or lounge
Dining venue
The Head of the River offers 19 accommodations with espresso makers and complimentary bottled water. Flat-screen televisions come with digital channels. Bathrooms include showers, complimentary toiletries, and hair dryers.
Guests can surf the web using the complimentary wireless Internet access. Business-friendly amenities include desks and phones. Additionally, rooms include coffee/tea makers and irons/ironing boards. Housekeeping is provided on request.
Awards and affiliations
Eco-Certified Property
This property participates in Green Tourism Program, a program that measures the property's impact on one or more of the following: environment, community, cultural-heritage, the local economy.
Languages
English
Property amenities
Internet
Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
Available in some public areas: Free WiFi
Parking and transportation
No onsite parking available
Food and drink
Cooked-to-order breakfast available for a fee 7:00 AM–11:00 AM on weekdays and 8:00 AM–11:00 AM on weekends: GBP 10.00-15.00 per person
1 restaurant
1 bar
Accessibility
If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please contact the property using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
Check-in start time: 3:00 PM; Check-in end time: 10:00 PM
Late check-in subject to availability
Minimum check-in age: 18
Check-out
Check-out before 11 AM
Contactless check-out available
Special check-in instructions
The front desk is open daily from 8 AM - 9:30 PM
Front desk staffed during limited hours
If you are planning to arrive after 11:00 PM please contact the property in advance using the information on the booking confirmation
Access methods
Front desk (limited hours)
Pets
Pets: GBP 10 per pet, per night
Food and water bowls are available
Service animals are exempt from fees
Children and extra beds
Children are welcome.
Rollaway/extra beds are not available.
Property payment types
Important information
Optional extras
The fees and deposits listed below will be charged at the time of service, check-in, or check-out.
Fee for cooked-to-order breakfast: approximately GBP 10.00 to 15.00 per person
Pet fee: GBP 10 per pet, per night
Service animals are exempt from fees
This may not be a comprehensive list. Fees and deposits are subject to change and might not include tax.
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
The name on the credit card used at check-in to pay for incidentals must be the primary name on the guestroom reservation
This property accepts credit cards; cash is not accepted
Charges for extra guests may apply and vary according to property policy. A cash deposit, credit card, or debit card for incidental charges and government-issued photo identification may be required upon check-in. Special requests are subject to availability at the time of check-in. Special requests can't be guaranteed and may incur additional charges.
This property is managed by a professional host. The provision of housing is linked to their trade, business, or profession. No onsite parking is available. The name on the credit card used at check-in to pay for incidentals must be the primary name on the guestroom reservation. This property accepts Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Diners Club. Cash is not accepted.
Property is also known as
Head River
Head River Inn
Head River Inn Oxford
Head River Oxford
Head Of The River Hotel Oxford
The Head of the River Inn
The Head of the River Oxford
The Head of the River Inn Oxford
The Head of the River Reviews
Reviews
8.6
Excellent
All reviews shown are from real guest experiences. Only travellers who have booked a stay with us can submit a review. We verify reviews according to our guidelines and publish all reviews, positive or negative.
Hotel and bar was nice staff helpful just a shame that other customers had to ruin the experience for us but the staff went out there way to make sure we was ok
Walls are very thin and can here other people talking /snoring
The pub garden was beautiful to sit in, with the sun
This place is lovely and very cute! It was our first trip to Oxford and the location was really convenient to the town center. The outdoor bar and restaurant is very charming and popular. The service was excellent- very friendly and helpful staff. Overall, excellent location, property and service
Clean, cosy, welcoming and full of charm. The staff were friendly and helpful. My room had beautiful views of the river and meadow. I’d come back to Oxford just to stay here again.
We stayed at the Head of the River with our kids for a few days recently when visiting schools in the Oxford area. We really liked it. The rooms are lovely and have everything you need, the kids loved the free breakfast which was really delicious. We ended up eating most of our meals there and thoroughly enjoyed our stay.
Great location and scenery however very loud hotel and can hear others in their rooms easily. The room was not serviced for a while left in morning, back in afternoon and no toilet tissue or phone to ring downstairs. Not the typical hotel experience.
Stayed there for several nights. The room was very comfortable and clean. I especially liked the breakfast and very friendly staff. Plus, the location is great for seeing Oxford.
Verified traveller
Stayed 13 nights in Nov 2023
8/10 Good
Leanne
Travelled with partner
17 Nov 2023
Liked: Staff & service
We had an overall good stay at The Head of the River. We were in walking distance to landmarks of interest and there was a lovely coffee shop across the street. The breakfast was included and was good and the staff were friendly. Overall cleanliness of the room was not up to our standards and the first evening we were there it was quite noisy. Would probably look into other options before returning.
Lovely view from our ridiculously tiny room-barely room to walk around the bed, no space for luggage or unpacked clothes, no desk or flat surface, tiny bathroom, extremely noisy-a very loud event underneath our window went on late into night and next night it was traffic on the street, very narrow flights of steps to reach our room. Required the white noise from the fan to sleep